The Priceless Treasure of Family
by Hayley Cometra
Summary: Third in the “Hayley Cometra” series. When the Monkey Team has a fateful encounter with someone from Hayley’s past, everything turns upsidedown. Finally, Chapter Six completes this!
1. Don't You Remember?

Episode Title: "The Priceless Treasure of Family"

Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my character, her vehicle, and this plot. I also own the new character that is introduced in this story.

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**Chapter One: Don't You Remember?**

It was one of those rare days when everything was peaceful enough for the entire Monkey Team to be outside of the Robot and not worry too much about what their enemy's next move was going to be. The Monkey Team had earned a good day of peace; they were already settling down after their encounters with Thingy, Flytor, and Gyrus Krinkle…not to mention her first encounter with Scrapperton, even though it wasn't the first time the rest of the team met him.

Chiro and Antauri sat side by side in a calm meadow, looking around to see the members of their family. Nova, Sprx, and Otto were sparring against each other in a triangle formation, working their skills against multiple targets. Gibson was sitting on a tree branch, reading a book. And, to the surprise of almost everyone, so was Hayley.

Chiro didn't know that Hayley wasn't deeply interested reading; she usually left them for Gibson to fascinate. But she had been reading this particular book ever since they had arrived at the meadow. So the boy slowly got to his feet and approached her from behind. "Hey, Hayley," he greeted.

Because his arrival was quiet, she was jumped to her feet and nearly screamed, ready to face whatever opponent had suddenly come upon her! But Chiro raised his hands defensively, and Hayley discovered just who it was.

Both exchanged nervous chuckles as everyone looked at them.

"Sorry, Chiro," she giggled. "I thought you were a Formless."

"What are you reading?" he asked, handing her the book.

"Oh, it's a basic summary of the Celestial system, a few hundred light-years from here. I was interested in the language. I just discovered that 'arriekha' has two meanings. The more popular translation means 'strength', but it can also be translated into the word 'courage'."

(Author's Note: it's just a word I made up; it doesn't actually exist.)

Gibson closed his book and jumped off the branch, landing near the pair. "Why would the Celestial system be of any interest to you? Formal contact with the Celestians hasn't been made in more than century."

Hayley thought for a moment. She was still keeping her promise to Nova about not talking about the two Guardian Angels in the girls' possessions: the Phoenix and the Pegasus. And Hayley actually hadn't thought much about them after Nova gave her the Pegasus, but when Otto told her later that he was almost certain he saw it before, she quietly began her own research about them.

Unfortunately, she wasn't making better progress than Nova did.

Realizing that the others were still waiting for an answer from her, she said, "Idle curiosity."

"I think your curiosity should be less…idle," Otto answered, suddenly pouncing on her. Hayley dropped her book in reaction as they both laughed and wrestled in the grass.

"I'm going to get you real good this time!" she exclaimed as it was now her turn to chase him.

"I don't think so," he called back teasingly.

Everyone watched as their playful fight started to put some distance between them and the young pair.

Sprx grinned as he looked at Nova. "You know, that could be you and me out there, Nova."

The Yellow Monkey snarled softly and smacked his cheek with her tail, knocking him to the grass!

Unaware of what took place, Hayley finally caught up with Otto and jumped on top of him, landing on his back and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Got you!"

Otto laughed and began struggling to get her off. But her hold was tight, beginning to close on his windpipe. "Okay, Hayley, you win!"

But Hayley didn't hear him. Just moments after she was on top of him, she noticed a sound coming from the surrounding area. Looking up from Otto and staring into bushes, she listened intently for the sound.

"Hey, hey, Hayley! Hello! Shuggazoom to Hayley, hello! Let go!"

"Huh?" she asked, snapping back to reality. Then realizing that she was accidentally choking him, she quickly jumped off and allowed him to breathe. "Oh! Sorry, Otto."

"What's gotten into you?"

"Shh, do you hear that?"

Otto watched her carefully as she peered into the bushes. There didn't seem to be anything suspicious in there, but something inside Hayley told her otherwise.

Just as she started to turn away, something leapt on top of her! Not even a moment went by before her immediate reaction was a started screech and a thrust kick to shove off her new attacker! Whatever it was landed easily a few meters away from her.

The rest of the Hyperforce were at her side immediately, ready to counter whoever dared to attack their sister.

At first, they thought that the new arrival was, of all things, another Robot Monkey!

But after a second glance, they discovered that it didn't quite have the right criteria. A cybernetic primate, yes, but not a Robot Monkey; the most obvious indication was that none of them could sense the Power Primate in it. Metal armor covered its chest, hands, and feet. Instead of the antennas that served as the Robot Monkeys' ears, this one had its real ears. A sword was sheathed gracefully across its back. Its navy blue fur gave it a mysterious appearance as it turned to look at them with eyes red as blood.

Hayley stared back. Something inside of her soul trembled.

"Who are you?" Otto growled.

The newcomer ignored him and stared directly at Hayley. "After all this time, this isn't the kind of 'hello' I was expecting from you," he said, his voice not quite as deep as Antauri's yet also scratchy.

She only stared back, the expression on her face of genuine confusion.

"You really don't remember, do you?" he asked her, scoffing. "Blank with a big B."

Sprx was the first to notice that he was talking to her. "You know this guy, Hayley?"

"Hayley?" the stranger asked, still looking at her. "Is that your name now? I have to admit, it's a much prettier name than Spot."

Hayley gasped in shock.

Everyone else became even more confused.

"Spot?"

"What's this all about?"

"You leave her alone!"

Hayley stopped the banter by taking a few steps forward, but not much closer. She was closely scrutinizing this visitor. It was the voice that seemed most familiar to her, but…

She finally gasped again in shock, slowly beginning to back away. "No. It can't be you. You can't be…"

But quickly becoming too unstable emotionally, she turned away and ran straight out of the meadow. The others watched in surprise as she disappeared from sight. Then, they looked at the stranger again.

"You can tell her that I'll be waiting when she's ready," he answered, turning in the other direction and leaving.

---------

No one needed to be told when they entered the Robot that the first thing they needed to do was to find Hayley.

That was easier said than done.

Sprx tried looking in her quarters, thinking that she might have retreated into the safe and the familiar.

Nova checked the training rooms; it was where she would go whenever she was upset.

Otto looked in his workshop. He would sometimes find her there, examining his latest work.

Gibson entered Sick Bay, wondering if she would pretend that nothing was wrong and resume her duties.

Antauri arrived at the Robot's shoulder, knowing that he had found her there before and that he could find her there again.

None of them had any luck.

It was Chiro who finally found her. She was trying to calm herself in one of Antauri's meditation rooms. He could see her twitching. That meant that either she hadn't mastered the art of meditation or it wasn't working very well. Maybe a mixture of both.

"Hayley? Are you okay?"

"Yes, Chiro. I'll be fine."

Chiro stared at her in uncertainty. She had never reacted in any way like she did in the meadow. He stood still for a moment, hoping that his thoughts might find their way into Antauri's mind to alert him and the others that he had found her.

Then, he looked at Hayley again. "May I join you?"

"I will be glad for the company, thank you."

Smiling, he sat down in front of her, facing her.

"Who was he?" he finally asked.

"His name is Slash. I…" She paused, letting out a light sigh. "I haven't seen him since I was very young."

"Slash?" he repeated. "Never heard of him."

"No, I'm not surprised. This was before you became leader, Chiro. Before Mandarin was exiled. In fact, even before I found the Hyperforce. I doubt even they knew about him. He is…my oldest brother."

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Uh oh, looks like things are going to be quite unsettling for Hayley for the next few days. But even she doesn't know how bad things are going to become. Learn more in Chapter Two: Family Meetings. 


	2. Family Meetings

Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my characters, the main OC's vehicle, and this plot.

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**Chapter Two: Family Meetings**

"Slash, huh?" Nova asked.

Hayley nodded shyly.

"Why did you fail to mention him to us before?" Gibson inquired.

The youngest Robot Monkey averted her gaze.

"I don't like the look of this," Sprx admitted.

"You never like strangers, Sprx," Nova growled, annoyed.

Normally, the Red Monkey would take advantage of such an opening to hit on Nova again, but something deep inside him made him stop. "That guy gives me the creeps. The way he talks, the way he looks, that sword he carries… I can't believe he's your brother, Hayley."

"It's true," she replied. "As a native monkey, I had five brothers and a sister." She then giggled. "Weird…now that I think about it: right now, I've got five brothers and a sister. Not much has changed in all those years."

Antauri didn't appreciate or approve of her attempt to change the subject. "I am most dismayed that you told no one of your family history, Hayley."

The smile immediately vanished from her face. She never wanted to disappoint anyone, but Antauri was always able to make her produce a humble type of regret.

Chiro watched her carefully. He knew how he would feel if a long-lost sibling of his suddenly came out of nowhere and greeted him the way Slash did Hayley.

"I think it might be best for all of us if we all get our answers at the same time," he suggested, standing up and looking directly at Hayley. "He said he would waiting for you when you're ready."

She glanced back at him. "He said that?"

He nodded.

"Then we should get going. He doesn't like to wait."

---------

Slash sat still, hiding in the bushes as he waited for something to emerge from that huge bulky machine that his precious sister ran into.

He exhaled in exasperation. How could she be so willing to enter an artificial structure? How could she be so open to a human? How could she be so comfortable with all of those metal parts on her?

How could she have changed so much?

He shuddered as a disturbing thought brushed his mind. He both did and did not look forward to this. But he quickly cast that thought aside. He knew that it would be worth it. No matter what the cost, it would all be worth it. He was going to have his precious sister back.

A sound caught his ears, and the black pupils in his red eyes fixed on who was approaching. It was them, with her in front. And he knew that they saw him the same instant he did them.

He sighed as he came out. Camouflage was much harder to perform in this navy blue color that was not natural to him. He would give almost anything to be back in his original body.

Several tense moments of silence passed as the Monkey Team stared hard at Slash. Chiro remained behind Hayley, ready to pull her away if there were any signs of hostility.

"Slash," Hayley whispered.

His ears perked up, and he looked straight at her. "Oh, you do remember me," he muttered. "You really truly remembered. I'm so flattered."

"Hey, can you blame me?" she asked indignantly. "How long as it been? It had to be at least a hundred years."

He scoffed at the sentence. "I'd be surprised if it wasn't two hundred. But I was under the impression that time would put no distance between family."

"I never said that I forgot you. But aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"Yes, Spot, I am supposed to be dead, but thanks to a certain someone, I was found and put back together. Not that I'm too happy about it."

Sprx glared at Slash. "Where did the name Spot come from?" he inquired suspiciously. "Her name is Hayley."

For what seemed like the first time, Slash acknowledged the presence of the others. "She may be Hayley to you, but for as long as I've known her, she has always been Spot. She always had a spot on her body where she liked to be touched. Let's see if you still have that spot."

The others were wary of daring to let this stranger approach her, but Hayley remained calm and still as he came to her. He placed one clawed hand against her left side, gently rubbing it.

Her angry frown quickly melted away into a gentle smile.

That smile gave way to a snicker, and then burst into sweet laughter!

"Tickles!" was all she managed to exclaim.

Slash smiled in response. "Oh, yes, you still have it, Spot."

The rest of the Hyperforce relaxed…except for Sprx.

The next hour was spent in conversation with Slash, although he and Hayley did most of the talking; the rest of the Monkey Team listened on without interrupting.

Slash explained that the creatures that had invaded his home jungle left it decimated. He was talking about the same attack that had driven Hayley into finding the Hyper Force when she was a native monkey. Hayley tried her best to describe the Formless to him, but he didn't seem interested.

A pang of dismay and sorrow tug at her heart when he began to describe how he survived the attack:

---------

_Seven native monkeys played happily together in a beautiful jungle when darkness began to overshadow them. Frightened, they huddled together and whimpered. Formless began to surround them, their footsteps leaving behind a trail of lifelessness._

_One monkey in particular, older and slightly larger than the rest, screeched harshly at the other six._

_They hesitated. They were told to run, but they couldn't leave their brother like this_…_could they?_

_He screeched again, more urgently this time. The six scattered. The dark entities began to chase them. The youngest of them took off in a direction that led out of the jungle._

_The oldest then snarled at the strange enemies_…_and leapt at the face of one!_

---------

"In my foolishness, I believed that it was no different than any other predator," Slash added. "I learned quickly how wrong I was. It broke my body, drained my life right out of me."

"And you mentioned that someone found you and built your body back again," Antauri added.

"Yes. He trained me to fight in methods that I had no way of discovering without him. Apart from my loyalty, which I would have gladly given him anyway since I owed him my life, he demanded only one thing: that I never speak his name to anyone."

"My new body was by far stronger than the alpha male of any monkey troupe. But even then, I felt no hope for myself. Our home was corrupted, and my family was nowhere in sight. Then news reached me that you, Spot, were alive. Never in my wildest dreams did I suspect that you were still alive. And suddenly the doors of opportunity were open to me, and I told my master that I was willing to do anything to have my precious sister back."

Hayley did all she could to keep the tears from flowing uncontrollably.

Nova's eyes seemed to twinkle in delight, and everyone else noticed something that Nova rarely showed: she had eyelashes. They made her look like a girl who had just experienced love at first sight. And the tone of her voice confirmed that. "You can fight?" she asked sweetly, the pupils in her eyes seeming to become hearts. "Can you show me?"

Slash chuckled and stood up. With a deft swing of his arm, he pulled the sword out of its sheath! The light hum of it hung in the air like a soft melody of warning. He began to weave elegant patterns both with the sword and with his feet; both were very difficult to see during this display. The sword's song evolved from a melody to a symphony of death to anyone who came in contact with the blade.

It was a strange, eerie, but beautiful dance.

Nova enjoyed every moment of it.

Sprx didn't. He kept his suspicious glare fixed on Slash. "Okay, so you finally found Hayley," he said cautiously. "What do you plan to do now?"

"Take my sister back with me, of course," he answered as he put away the sword.

Everyone except Nova, who was too awestruck by his swordsmanship to notice what he said, erupted into shock and surprise.

"What?"

"You can't do that!"

"She's got responsibilities!"

"There's more trouble here than you know."

Only Antauri was too shocked to speak.

"My master wants to train her himself," he said further. "He knows that she has potential, and his sole desire now is sharpen her skills."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Hayley asked.

Slash looked at her in surprise. "You would reject your own flesh and blood?"

"It's not that. I may not have forgotten you, but I have found companionship with a new family. These guys love me for who I am, not for what I can become."

"And you're saying that I don't?"

"Please, Slash, you're not making this easy!"

"Spot, take a look around! You're putting your complete trust in robots that are shaped like monkeys and, of all things, a young human!"

Chiro felt like he had just been insulted. "What's that supposed to mean!"

"I believe we all may need some time to think about the offer," Antauri said gently, an invitation for diplomacy. Slash backed away, Chiro lowered his guard, and the others calmed down. Sprx continued to stare.

Soon, Slash was alone again in the meadow. The Hyperforce returned to the Super Robot.

He made a subtle grin. Only one more event needs to happen before everything would be in place.

---------

"How can you even consider leaving us and going with him?" Sprx asked angrily.

Hayley leaned further into her command chair, which Otto had built next to his. Every feature of her face was etched with regret. "Believe me, if there were a way I could convince him to come stay with us, I would jump on it without a second thought," she admitted. "But in certain ways, he's even wilder than I am. I can't ask him to leave his comfort zone, not now that we've found each other."

"I don't trust him, Hayley," the Red Monkey told her.

"The question of whether or not we trust him is irrelevant, Sprx," Antauri calmly said. "The true question is: do YOU trust him, Hayley?"

She paused, uncertain of how she should answer.

"I know he's very skilled with his sword," Nova commented, her voice still a pitch higher than normal from watching his display. "The last time I saw swordplay like that was when Mandarin fought beside us when he was still good. If he had to take care of you, Hayley, I have no doubt he would do it very well."

Sprx growled indignantly upon hearing that, glaring at Nova jealously. She only smacked him again with her tail.

No one else noticed; Hayley seemed too depressed. "I have no doubt of that, either, Nova," she whispered. "But I also don't want to leave you guys. I somehow have the feeling that this isn't a vacation I can come back from. If I go, I go for good…and I don't know if that's something I'm prepared to do."

"Perhaps what you require, Hayley, is a decent night's slumber, after which you can carefully reexamine your dilemma," Gibson suggested.

Otto scratched his head.

"He's saying I should sleep on it," Hayley explained. "Probably not a bad idea."

---------

That night, no one slept well.

Hayley would stand up on her mattress, try to find a comfortable position, shift and spin around a few times, lie down for a few minutes, and then repeat the process.

Otto was in a state of shock. After all that Hayley had been through with him and with the rest of the team, she even considered leaving them? The only reason why he didn't protest was the fact that he placed her happiness above his own.

Nova occasionally glanced out the window to see the beautiful night sky. She had waited a long time to see such strong skills in a warrior, and now she finally found one: the lost brother of her favorite monkey. She hoped that she didn't blush at the sight of him…and if she did, she hoped that he didn't notice it.

Gibson was calculating the odds of a reunion such as the one that took place today. He figured first the chances of surviving against the Formless, then the chances of being found and rebuilt, then the chances of hearing of Hayley, and then the chances of actually finding her…after one hundred years!

Sprx didn't sleep a wink. Everything about Slash made chills run down his spinal structure. He didn't like any of this…and Nova being caught up in him wasn't helping.

Antauri didn't show his discomfort to the others for good reason. They were already wary enough of this stranger, and even though he didn't like Slash any more than they did, he knew that the ultimate decision belonged to Hayley.

And Chiro…

Something deep inside the boy's soul troubled him. He didn't know how, but he could sense it. And he didn't like it.

After several failed attempts to relax himself into sleep, he finally decided that a short walk in the night air might tire him out. Quietly, so he wouldn't arouse the attention of the others, he got dressed and slowly walked out of his quarters and out of the Robot.

Clouds covered the night sky this time. The moon, Ranger Seven, was nowhere to be seen, and neither were any of the stars. The lack of light made it a little difficult for Chiro to find his way through, so he moved cautiously.

He never saw that he had a shadow, edging closer and closer to him from behind…

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I don't think I'll give anything away this time… You'll just have to wait and see in Chapter Three: Decisions, Decisions…

_In response to Chapter One's reviews_…

**Crystal Persian**: I told you I haven't forgotten. Thanks for the idea. I'm actually combining yours with another that another reader gave me. This should make it interesting.

**love-writer**: Thanks for reviewing and the suggestion. I thought I was missing something. Then, of course, it's the Sprx/Nova fluff! What show would be complete without it, huh? Well, how's this for the fluff, both here and in the first chapter?


	3. Decisions, Decisions

Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my characters, the main OC's vehicle, and this plot.

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**Chapter Three: Decisions, Decisions…**

Hayley entered the kitchen/dining room area to find everyone else except Chiro and Antauri already inside, eating their breakfast. Otto was stuffing himself with pancakes that were practically drenched with syrup while Gibson was gingerly sipping at his hot oatmeal. Sprx was content with waffles, and Nova had just finished a bowl of cold cereal.

In the mood for something healthy but sweet, Hayley went to the refrigerator and removed the ingredients for her favorite fruit smoothie. In a few seconds, the blender was dicing the fruit and ice into the yogurt-like mix.

"I take it you all had the same amount of sleep I did," she muttered when the blender was done, barely loud enough for the others to hear.

At the same time, everyone murmured their agreements.

"So much for sleeping on it," Otto said.

"Have you made your decision about Slash?" Sprx grumbled.

Annoyed, Nova glared at the Red Monkey. "Sprx, give it a rest, will you? He's nice."

An argument was about to break out between the two when Gibson suddenly asked, "Antauri?"

The Robot Monkeys turned as one to look at the Black Monkey. Instead of joining them for breakfast, he was standing at the door, apparently concerned.

"Has anyone seen Chiro?" he asked, unable to keep a small hint of worry from his tone.

They all shook their heads and began their various answers.

"No, sorry."

"Just got in here."

"Not since last night."

"I thought I heard a sound from his quarters."

"Haven't seen him."

"Did you check his room?"

"Yes," Antauri answered. "He did not answer when I knocked, and when I entered, he wasn't there."

"Well, it's a little early in the morning to really do anything," Nova pointed out. "He couldn't have gotten far in the Robot."

"Indeed," Gibson agreed. "We should commence a thorough search."

---------

Hayley was growing more worried by the moment. She and the other Monkeys had spent over an hour scouring practically every inch of the Robot, and still no Chiro. She may not have known him as long as the others, but she knew well enough that this was very unlike Chiro.

Antauri had decided to stay behind in the Robot in case he came back while the others were searching the city. They had started at Chiro's favorite spot, Mr. Gakslapper's restaurant, and went in separate directions: Gibson to the north, Otto to the south, Nova to the east, and Sprx to the west.

Hayley was the only one who wandered about instead of search strategically. She didn't want to tell the others that she had the feeling Chiro was no longer on Shuggazoom. After all, she wasn't sure of that guess herself. But she knew that if Chiro was anywhere, they would have found him long before now.

This continued for a few more hours.

Her search took her back into the meadow. In her frustration, she found herself spending less time searching and more time kicking rocks out of her feet's way.

"Ow…" she grunted after one such kick. The object in her path didn't move. Curious as always, Hayley couldn't resist taking another look…and soon wished she didn't.

It wasn't a rock. The first telltale sign was the metallic shine on the surface. A faint but constant beep told her that it was a small piece of machinery.

"A holographic projector?" she realized, confused.

Instantly, a thin beam of light ejected from the projector. It shot up until it reached her height, and then like a curtain being pulled up, the beam began to projector the shape, the texture, and the feel of the holographic image.

"Skeleton King…" she growled, tightening her fists. "I have no time to waste on you, you worthless son of a—"

"_Ah, ah, ah,_" he said warningly. "_Mind your manners, young monkey. After all, it would be very unfortunate if something were to happen…to him._"

And as he said this, he stepped aside, allowing the holographic image to display a human being hung up by chains on his wrists. Every one of his muscles were relaxed and his head was one his chest, meaning he was either asleep or unconscious.

"Chiro!"

"_Yes. I have your so-called Chosen One. He has been such a thorn in my side, and no doubt in yours, too. So I have decided…to remove the thorn!_"

Hayley's heart leapt into her throat when the hologram showed his skeletal hand grabbing his staff! How many experiments she had endured when he jammed that staff into her! And true to her horror, he stabbed the end of it into Chiro's side! Chiro's teeth gritted in pain, but he didn't stir after that! She knew he had to be unconscious; there was no way anyone could sleep through that amount of pain!

"Leave him alone!"

"_Is he that precious to you?_" he asked as he removed the staff and stepped directly into the image, blocking Chiro from her view again. "_Show me how important he is._"

Powerless to do anything for her leader, the emotional Hayley shuddered and sank to her knees.

"_I see. In that case, I believe I will allow myself to be out of character for a short period of time. If your sole desire is to see your Chosen One alive, you must come back to me. Do not bring the other Robot Monkeys with you. If you do, he will die. You have 48 hours to comply; do not delay. If you do, he will die._"

Then, the holographic image cut off, but not before he stepped aside again to show the pain-stricken Chiro still unconscious.

"No," she whispered in disbelief. She shot back to her feet and began kicking and pulling at the device, but its feet were buried deep in the ground. No amount of physical stress was going to bring back the holographic image. "No…"

To say that Hayley wasn't concerned for Chiro's welfare would be untrue. In fact, probably the only monkey who had a deeper emotional connection with Chiro than her would be Antauri.

But to go to Chiro would mean going straight back into the Citadel of Bone…willingly. Such an overwhelming sense of dread and darkness that she had fought long and hard to escape…only to go back in out of free will?

She remembered the first few days of training after Otto and the others built her body into that of a Robot Monkey. One training session Mandarin had put her through was one of her most startling: the fear training. As far as she knew, every one except Mandarin and Antauri were subject to the fear training. Nova had to endure freezing cold temperatures. Gibson abhorred any kind of insects and arachnids, especially spiders. Sprx was forced into swimming lessons. She never knew what Otto had to go through because he usually forgot the anxiety of the training soon after he was done.

Hayley's training was as unique as the others'. Mandarin would place her at the beginning of a maze room. Her only requirement was to make her way to the exit within fifteen minutes. There were two catches: one, the walls of the maze were embedded with a magnetic repelling trait, keeping her from feeling her way through; and two, the room had no light at all. Hayley's fear was the dark, especially being alone in it.

She never did complete the maze in the time period. The furthest she had ever come before Skeleton King had taken her was slightly less than halfway, and that time was from sheer luck.

"Hey…" a gentle voice snapped her from the memories.

Startled by the surprise greeting, she spun around and activated her whips, ready to attack. But she backed down just as quickly.

"Slash," she realized. "Oh, please don't scare me like that again."

"I'm sorry," he replied, putting his sword away. "It's just…I heard you shouting a little while ago and thought that you were in danger. I came to help, but I see there are no enemies here."

"No," she answered quietly, looking away. "No enemies here."

Slash noticed this immediately. "What's wrong?"

"It's Chiro."

"The human? What about him?"

"He's missing. He's been captured. I must go save him."

Slash flinched when he heard that. He was beginning to lose his patience. "Is he that precious to you? I would have expected you to be happy to see me and for us to be family again. Is that not important to you?"

"Of course it's important!" she exclaimed, trapped between being angry for Slash's insult and being concerned for Chiro's safety.

And almost as if he didn't hear her, he shouted back, "Don't you realize that while I toiled away, trying to find you, you quite simply replaced me and our brothers and sister with monkeys that aren't really monkeys anymore? And on top of that, you're placing a human above me? Don't you remember that it was humans that was the death of our parents?"

"Of course I remember!" she screamed, tears pouring from her eyes. "It's not easy to forget watching poachers become murders! But Chiro wasn't involved and I don't blame him for it!"

"But he's a human!"

"I know that!"

"Humans are selfish!"

"Not Chiro!"

"Prone to corruption!"

"Chiro is different!"

"Not trustworthy!"

"Shut up!"

"You shut up!"

"You started it!"

"But you continued it!"

"So did you!"

Both of them panted heavily, exhausted from their shouting.

Then, both of them laughed lightly. This was not unlike the arguments that they would sometimes have as native monkeys, especially considering that they were family.

"Not much has changed in all these decades, has it?" Slash asked.

"Other than physical appearances, no," answered Hayley. "You're still as stubborn as ever."

"And so are you. Stubborn…and spoiled."

Both of them exchanged another laugh.

"So he is that important to you," he stated.

"Very important," she answered.

He placed a paw on her cheek. "You are my sister by blood. My sole desire is your happy company. If seeing this human again makes you happy, I will do anything to help you."

She smiled weakly, a single tear coming out of her eye this time. "I have an idea…"

* * *

Up next is Chapter Four: Happier Days. 

_In response to Chapter Two's reviews_…

**Crystal Persian**: Only one person reviewed? Oh well. Better one than none. Yes, this is progressing well, I'm just sorry that I was late in updating.


	4. Happier Days

Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my characters, the main OC's vehicle, and this plot. The flashbacks are scenes of alternate versions of the episodes "Thingy" and "Ape New World"; the original plots in those are not mine, either.

* * *

**Chapter Four: Happier Days**

Three hours after they had split up, the Robot Monkeys rejoined with Antauri inside the Command Center. None of them had any luck in finding Chiro, but of course, only Hayley knew why.

Slash had also entered the Robot with Hayley, something that made the remaining Robot Monkeys very unhappy. Even Nova was skeptical about letting a stranger inside of their Robot. But Slash, who was all but claustrophobic inside an artificial structure in the first place, kept his distance from anything dangerous, and Hayley insisted that he wouldn't be able to damage anything.

Antauri still thought it best for all concerned that Slash be granted only limited access. Hayley offered her battle station, the Heart Auxiliary Starship Seven, since that was the only place that responded solely to her. Everyone agreed.

When Slash had left the Command Center, the Robot Monkeys began talking with Hayley as she was typing into the main computer. "Are you certain it was a wise decision, bringing a complete stranger into the Super Robot?" Gibson asked sternly.

Hayley glared back at him. "First of all, he is not a complete stranger. He is my brother by blood. And secondly, yes, I do believe it was a wise decision. He may not be particularly fond of humans, but he has excellent tracking sense."

"Oh, and you're saying that we don't," Sprx replied, for once agreeing with Gibson.

"Nature has a way of achieving something when technology fails," Hayley was quick to answer.

"Don't be such nosy monkeys," Nova told both Sprx and Gibson. "If Slash is anything like Hayley, then we've got nothing to worry about."

Just then, a faint alarm blared.

"What's that?" Otto asked.

"Inconceivable!" Gibson exclaimed, typing furiously on the computer. "A mechanical virus has infiltrated the computer system and is beginning to corrupt the hard drive!"

The main monitor displayed a progress report of the Super Robot as slowly, starting with the edges of the Fist Rockets and Foot Crushers, a red outline began to display over the normal gray view.

"At this rate, the virus will contaminate the Robot's systems and shut them down in a matter of minutes!" a shocked Antauri realized.

"I'd better hurry to the Heart Auxiliary Starship Seven," Hayley was quick to offer. "If I can perform the emergency disengage sequence, I can save the backup files from being corrupted."

Without waiting for the others to either approve or disapprove, she was already gone into Chiro's elevator.

Several minutes passed before anything else happened. The virus had full effect on every ship except the Torso Tank Driver One, and it was already beginning to shut down in reaction as well.

Then, a slight tremor! The Brain Scrambler Pilot Two made the emergency disengage and landed safely in the park. Two more tremors! The same happened with the Fist Rockets. It was working!

Another tremor told them that the Torso Tank Driver One had disconnected with the Foot Crushers, allowing them to perform the emergency disengage and roll away without harming anything.

As soon as the Torso Tank Driver One was free, Gibson switched the monitor to display Chiro's vehicle. Although the emergency disengage sequence was a success, Hayley's task was not finished yet. Because the virus had already infected part of Chiro's vehicle, she had to disengage her ship to keep the virus out of hers.

Soon, everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the recently added ship emerged from Chiro's and took to the air, apparently untouched by the virus.

"Excellent quick thinking, Hayley," Gibson said into the microphone. "Now, initiate the auxiliary control beam to restore the remaining systems to normal."

The Heart Auxiliary Starship Seven made no reaction.

"Hello?" Otto asked, taking the microphone from Gibson. "Shuggazoom to Hayley. You there?"

Again, there was no response.

"Perhaps the virus has contaminated our communication systems as well," Gibson commented.

"_No, Gibson_," Hayley's familiar voice replied from the speakers. "_They're working fine._"

How surprised the Monkeys were to see the monitor display the inside of Hayley's ship, where she was at the helm and Slash, looking rather uncomfortable and indignant, sat to one side.

---------

"I'm sorry, team," she began, "but I'm afraid I can't have any of you following me. I have recently discovered a terrible truth. Skeleton King has kidnapped Chiro and is demanding that I should be the only Robot Monkey coming in any attempt to see him again. It's up to me to rescue Chiro, and that's just what I'm going to do."

"_What?_" Nova asked, shocked. "_You can't do that!_"

"I have to," Hayley replied. "If I don't comply with his demands within 45 hours, he will kill Chiro. I can't let that happen."

"_Why take HIM along, then?_" Sprx asked suspiciously, pointing at Slash, who calmly stared back in reply.

Hayley made a small but cunning grin. "Skeleton King only said that I should be the only Robot Monkey. Slash isn't one, per se. The bone bag will never even suspect this. With Slash's tracking skills and my knowledge of the Citadel, Chiro is as good as saved."

"_Hayley, Skeleton King is simply attempting to draw you back into the Citadel so that he may finish what he began with you_," Antauri calmly told her. "_You were fortunate enough to survive the darkness last time, but there is no guarantee that you will be so lucky this time._"

The youngest Robot Monkey sighed. It truly pained her to know that her teammates really cared for her safety. But all that concerned her at this time was Chiro's safety, not hers. "I'm sorry, team," she said again before cutting off the transmission.

She then looked at Slash. "Strap yourself in. We're taking off."

Within a few minutes, both were securely on their way into deep space. Hayley's scanners were on full alert, searching for any sign of the Citadel of Bone.

"I have to admit, Spot, using a mechanical virus to cripple your companions from following you was a stroke of genius," Slash complimented.

Hayley sighed. "It wasn't originally my idea; it was actually Skeleton King's. He was the one who actually created that virus and used it against us. Ever since the virus got clean, I was able to create a diluted version of that same virus and kept it for emergencies. Desperate times call for desperate measures."

Slash stared at her in surprise. "You mean, this isn't the first time your…what do you call it? Super…Robot? This isn't the first time it became infected with a virus?"

Smiling and remembering the happier days, Hayley looked at him and replied, "No. The first time was when we encountered this most adorable little fuzz ball that we named Thingy…"

---------

_With the Super Robot refueled and on its way back to Shuggazoom from Ranger Seven, the Monkey Team took the opportunity to enjoy more leisurely activities. Several hours went by with few incidents, and even fewer not involving Thingy._

_Hayley had only just arrived in the Command Center to deliver Antauri's message when she noticed a holographic tennis ball floating by her. Curious, she watched as Thingy jumped in happy pursuit. When the ball hovered in place, Thingy jumped for it with an excited, "Whee!"_

_But the creature went straight through it and hit the nearby wall!_

"_Ow!" it exclaimed as it fell to the floor._

_Giggling, Hayley looked around and called out, "Chiro."_

_Also laughing, Chiro came out from hiding and approached Hayley and Thingy. In his hands was the controller for the holographic tennis ball. "Thingy, you woob," he gently told Thingy. "It's just a holograph. Try this."_

_He entered a command into the controller, and the ball became a Robot Monkey head. Thingy's fur bristled with joy. "Come on, get that monkey," Chiro encouraged, sending the holographic head to another area of the Command Center._

_Thingy bounced after it with its excited, "Whee, whee!"_

"_I take it you've never had a pet before," Hayley giggled._

_Chiro shook his head._

_Hayley sighed and crossed her arms, her mind turning to happier days in the past. "I still remember what I used to be like before I became a Robot Monkey."_

_Another joyful shout from Thingy followed by a startled gasp from Gibson told the pair that Thingy had just barely avoided Gibson's anger_…_again. They couldn't see Gibson's laboratory from where they stood, but they knew instinctively that's where they were._

"_Careful," they overheard Gibson's warning. "Those beakers are full of explosive chemicals."_

_Suddenly, Chiro and Hayley heard a screech and a crash, and they both looked to see Thingy jump out of Gibson's lab. Moments later, a sudden detonation and a great billow of smoke told them what happened!_

"_Oh, no_…_" Chiro whispered worriedly._

"_Not again," Hayley quietly added._

_Sure enough, the figure of a Robot Monkey covered in ash and soot slowly stepped out and angrily made a train whistle sound. Thingy fearfully jumped behind Chiro's leg._

_Hayley started to giggle, partly because Gibson really did look funny to her, and purposely tried to deflect Gibson's anger by lightening up the situation. "Hey, that's a nice color on you. I can just see it now: Mr. Hal Gibson, the Gray Monkey."_

_Although Hayley did succeed in keeping Gibson from venting his anger directly at Chiro, his grimace didn't change the slightest._

"_Oh, come on, Gibson," Chiro chuckled nervously. "It was an accident."_

"_I'm not so sure," Gibson finally said, revealing a handheld monitor. "According to my ongoing analysis, that creature is a new monster species. It's already damaged our computer cables and clogged the ventilation system with its filthy hair. It could be trying to destroy us."_

"_What?" Chiro asked, laughing._

"_I agree with Chiro, Gibz," Hayley added. "After all, I don't recall you being that mad at me when I accidentally blew up your lab."_

"_No, I wasn't that mad at you, Hayley," Gibson replied. "I was that mad at Otto."_

_Hayley rolled her eyes. "And what does Otto have to do with this?"_

"_He was responsible for you, just as Chiro is responsible for that creature."_

"_Thingy is harmless," Chiro insisted. "Aren't you, Thingy?"_

_Then, as Chiro looked back and realized that Thingy was no longer behind him, the three of them turned upon hearing some metal rattling. Thingy was escaping from a tight spot in a wall and falling down, spinning around dizzily._

"_Thingy!" Chiro called, running to him in concern with Hayley right behind him._

_Unknown to either of them, Gibson picked up a strand of blue fur belonging to Thingy and looked at it carefully. "Harmless?" he quietly asked to himself. "Hmm, I'll find out for certain."_

"_Oh, I almost forgot!" Hayley realized. "If you two aren't doing anything, Antauri wanted me to bring both of you to the training room. He says he's got something special to show us."_

"_I'll accompany you two shortly," Gibson replied, already on his way back inside his lab._

"_I'm right behind you, Hayley," Chiro told her as she entered Gibson's elevator. He touched his Power Primate Rod, transforming into Hyper Mode, and began for the orange elevator. "Come on, Thingy!"_

"_Whee!"_

---------

"Of course, we had no way of knowing that the cute little fuzz ball was spreading that virus all over the Robot by shedding its fur," Hayley explained further. "Even he didn't know. Poor Thingy. He was blamed for everything that happened when it was actually the virus' fault."

Slash looked at Hayley with a smirk on his face. "So you infected the computer systems of the rest of the Robot to keep them from following us?" he asked. "My sister, I had no idea you could be so vicious."

Hayley wasn't amused. "First of all, the Super Robot is now immune to the original virus. I simply altered some of the key factors of the virus and diluted the intensity of the effects. The most you could say I've done is cripple temporarily. Knowing Gibson, he'll have the rest of the Super Robot clean in a matter of six or seven hours. By that time, we'll be too far ahead of them for them to catch up even if they could.

"Secondly, desperate times call for desperate measures. I can be vicious if I have to. I suppose it comes from making sure that no one hurts my family again."

Slash glanced at the floor when he heard the word that Hayley had chosen. "Spot? Have you ever thought about…what we could have done differently? You know, all those years ago, when we got separated. What could we have done so that we all would have been together? I miss our brothers and sister."

Hayley sighed, switched to the automatic pilot, and looked at him. "I miss them, too. And yes, I do wonder about what we might have done differently. But I can't dwell on the past forever; I've got the present to think about."

Only half-listening, Slash continued, "And I miss our parents, too. I wish I could get my paws on those people that poached them. I'd tear them apart!"

"That was years ago, Slash," Hayley replied. "Those people are dead now, and the people alive today on Shuggazoom aren't that bad. They're actually really nice."

Slash scoffed, "It'd be a miracle if humans were actually nice."

Hayley sighed. "I used to think that way about humans myself when I became a Robot Monkey, even after I rescued Chiro and rejoined the team. But let me tell you what changed my mind…"

---------

_In the celebration hall of the fake Shuggazoom, the majority of the Robot Monkeys were watching Lord Scrapperton (who was disguised as a Robo Ape Alpha) and his Robo Apes continuing their Monkey Eve chant. Hayley was the only one not watching, for she was too distraught from the thought of being sent two millions years into the future and finding a new order in place of the home she had known all her life._

_And Otto, of course, was so overjoyed by the new world they had found that he couldn't help but interact with it. "You got a burr on your rotator cuff; this will fix you up," he said to one of the Robo Apes, putting his hand-wrench into its shoulder. When he was finished, he gave a thumbs-up and jumped down._

"_I am honored, Lord Otto," the Robo Ape replied with a bow. Then, showing off in front of the other Robot Apes, it exclaimed, "Look, he has upgraded me!"_

_Another Robot Ape approached him and held out a leg to him. "Ooh, if you would be so kind_…_?" he asked just as the leg feel off at the knee joint._

"_My pleasure!" Otto exclaimed, beginning the repair. "Ya know, in the old Shuggazoom, no one could understand us except Chiro. Here, everyone speaks monkey."_

"_Shuggazoom was remade in your image," Robo Ape Alpha replied. "You belong here, Otto. You all do."_

_Overhearing that, Hayley looked around. She hadn't seen Chiro for a while, and she was starting to worry about him. "I'm not so sure about that," she whispered to herself, not feeling the least bit comfortable in this place under these circumstances._

_No one else heard her remark._

"_Hayley, take a look at this," Gibson said keenly, looking into Robo Ape Alpha's holographic history book. "This book chronicles every one of our battles, including the ones that occurred before you came back to us. Just listen."_

"_Not now, Gibson," she replied, too downcast to even lighten herself up by using her common nickname for him._

_Instead of noticing her depression, Gibson began to quote from the book in a grand voice: "**Yea, and verily was the evil of the Sun Riders thwarted by the genius intellect**_**…_of Mr. Hal Gibson._**_"_

"_Gibson, Gibson, Gibson!" the remaining Robo Apes began to cheer excitedly._

_Jealous that Gibson seemed to be getting all the attention, Nova shoved him to one side and flipped a page to reveal a second holograph. "**And, lo, the Gold Warrior Monkey Nova unleashed her terrible fury on the Formless!** Yeah!"_

"_Nova, Nova, Nova!"_

_Sprx quickly did the same as he pushed Nova away and flipped to the next page. "My turn. Here's a good one. **Lord Scrapperton of the Mecha Realm**_**…_did collecteth the magnets of SPRX-77._**_" A bit embarrassed by this reminder, Sprx shrugged and revealed his magnets, saying, "Yeah, the freak job stole my hands, but don't worry. I took my magnets back and I cleaned his clock!"_

_Only Antauri had noticed Hayley's saddened state and quickly thought of a way to brighten her up. "Hayley, perhaps these Robo Apes would like to listen to the tale of how you had triumphed over Mandarin's evil influence," he offered._

"_Hayley, Hayley, Hayley!" they began to cheer._

_But, always too humble to accept any kind of so-called royal treatment, Hayley's voice rose with her anger as she exclaimed, "I said not now!"_

_This made everyone stop short in surprise. Even Otto, who was in the middle of fixing a third Robo Ape's chest circuitry, ignored his work and looked at her. "Um, excuse me for just a second," he said before jumping to her side. "Hayley, what's wrong? Aren't you happy?"_

"_Do I look happy?" she asked in reply, annoyed. "Do I sound happy? Otto, how can I be happy with the fact that everything I ever knew about Shuggazoom is suddenly gone?"_

_Stepping up towards the elevated table, Robo Ape Alpha said, "Your sentimental concern is understandable, Lady Hayley. But this evening is just for all of you. If you would simply open your eyes and accept us_…_why, you may actually like the new Shuggazoom."_

_Hayley looked at the robotic leader as Otto returned to his work. "Robo Ape Alpha, please don't misunderstand me. I am grateful that you appreciate us so much. But I fought for the OLD Shuggazoom. It's the OLD Shuggazoom that I protected and defended, that I love and miss. So what if the humans never understood us? They still deserved so much more than to be shrugged off, brushed aside, just dismissed like this. I can't accept this new Shuggazoom, even if I wanted to."_

_The Robot Monkeys hesitated, considering this._

_Looking at Antauri, Hayley continued, "Antauri, let's just find Chiro and get out of here. I want to go back. Even if it means that we go back to battle with Skeleton King. Even if it means that we never win that battle. None of that matters as long as I have you guys. I want to go home."_

"_But, Lady Hayley, you ARE home," Robo Ape Alpha insisted._

_Annoyed, Hayley glared at their disguised enemy. "I'd like to discuss this privately with him if you don't mind."_

_After a moment of thinking, Robo Ape Alpha returned to Otto's side._

_Left in the privacy of her friends, Hayley again looked at Antauri with pleading, tearful eyes._

_With a sigh, Antauri calmly replied, "I could never cause you grief, Hayley. Very well. As soon as I inform Chiro, we're going back."_

"_Thank you, Antauri," Hayley answered, overjoyed but quiet. "Thank you!" And she pulled him into an emotional hug, something that surprised him and the other Robot Monkeys._

---------

Slash hesitated as Hayley finished that story.

"So you could say that humans are the reason I exist," she said. "The Hyperforce exists to protect Shuggazoom, and for reasons I cannot explain, I have been chosen to become a member of the team so that I too may fulfill that obligation. And I will fulfill it."

When he heard that, Slash looked down at the floor. He wondered about his motives now. Everything that he did thus far, everything that he was going to do…what was it worth now? Would the result really be worth the cost?

"Hayley," he said, addressing her by her current name for the first time. "Perhaps we should turn back. It is not too late, and I think I may know of another way to save your human brother—"

But Hayley wasn't listening. "I will not abandon Chiro," she interrupted, glaring at him.

Slash sighed. He couldn't think of anything to say that would benefit either of them now.

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Up next is Chapter Five: True Family. 

_In response to Chapter Three's reviews_…

**Crystal Persian**: lol. You're a scream, you know that?

**tiny monkey**: Yes, the brother/sister love can be annoying. The argument between Slash and Hayley was actually an inspiration from my early childhood. Whenever my sister and I would fight, my dad would never let us get away with saying "she started it". But I'll answer your other question right now; no, Slash is the only surviving member of Hayley's native family.

**love-writer**: Don't feel bad about missing out before. I'm sure we've all done that at one point in time or another.


	5. True Family

Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my characters, the main OC's vehicle, and this plot.

Author's Note: My apologies for being so late in updating. I've had a lot of personal issues that required my immediate attention. Hopefully, they are resolved.

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**Chapter Five: True Family**

"What is our status, Gibson?" Antauri asked.

"I believe I will have the virus cleaned from the Super Robot's system in another few hours," the Blue Monkey replied. "However, I am concerned about Hayley."

Sprx nodded grimly. "Yeah, she's got quite a lead. It may take us just as much time to catch up with her."

"That is not what I meant," Gibson replied. "I still cannot make myself believe that she deliberately infected the Robot just to keep us from accompanying her. She should have told us of her discovery."

Nova shrugged. "I think she knew that if she did, we would have forced her to take us with her."

"Or worse yet…" Otto started, "we might have gone and forced her to stay behind."

Antauri stepped up, drawing everyone's attention. "Either way, Hayley will answer for her sabotage later, after we find her and Slash…and help them bring Chiro home."

---------

Hayley mumbled a few times as another slap against her shoulder woke her up. She rubbed her eyes sleepily. "What time is it?" she groaned.

"How am I supposed to know?" Slash retorted, very annoyed. "It's as dark as night out there, and I can't read these stupid computer monitors! How did you expect me to help you pilot this thing when you said you were going to sleep?"

She made a small laugh as she couldn't hold back her little prank any longer. "Slash…" she giggled. "Before I went to sleep, I put the ship on automatic pilot. It's doing the flying for us."

He stared at her in surprise. "You mean…I could have taken a nap myself without worrying about this thing crashing into anything or falling under attack?"

Hayley nodded, replying, "The automatic pilot would have steered us away from any obstacles, and the proximity alarm would have alerted us to any hostiles."

Slash shook his head hopelessly. "You are a sneaky one."

"Actually, it was originally Sprx who pulled that prank on me during my initial training as a Robot Monkey," she answered, still giggling. "He actually had me steering his Fist Rocket Three for about an hour while he took a nap before I figured it out. So I pulled the prank back on him and took it off of automatic pilot, flying seriously close to an asteroid field. Ha, I'll never forget the look on his face when he woke up! Or the lecture I received from Antauri afterwards."

"Sprx…he's the talkative one, isn't he?" he asked.

Hayley smiled. "Oh, he may be a loud-mouthed idiot, but there are moments when his instincts are quite perceptive, second only to mine. I've grown to respect him."

"He doesn't seem to like me."

"He never likes strangers."

"Nor does he seem to respect me."

"It does take a while for him to trust others."

Slash sighed. "I don't think I have that kind of time."

Confused, Hayley looked at him. "What are you talking about? We have all the time in the world now that we are reunited, my brother."

He glanced back at her, again considering his choices. But as he did, something on the monitor caught his eye. "What is that?"

She turned to the monitor. And when she saw what he pointed out, her frown deepened. "Under normal circumstances, I would say that it is my living nightmare. But here, the more appropriate words are…undead nightmare. The Citadel of Bone."

---------

"Yes," Skeleton King chuckled evilly as his TV Monster displayed the Heart Auxiliary Starship Seven approach. "Come to me, my slave, like a moth to a flame. And…I think a proper reception requires me to turn on the heat."

Standing up, he stepped down from his throne, passing by the unconscious Chiro, and charged up the staff in his head. With a mighty grunt and another evil laugh, he sent the energy of his staff into the floor.

---------

Slash gasped in shock when he saw the nose of the evil ship beginning to glow. But Hayley was already on it as she deactivated the automatic pilot and took the controls. A hard jerk to the right sent Slash crashing against the left wall but enabled her ship to move away from the immediate danger.

"I thought you said he was expecting you!" Slash scolded.

"He is expecting me," Hayley replied, a little annoyed. "But you don't seriously think he is going to just LET me cruise in there and get Chiro out. This is just to keep us on our toes, or we wouldn't be here talking about it. Hang on!"

That was easier said than done for more than obvious reasons. Slash barely had the time to get back into his seat before he was almost thrown out of it again when another blast from the Citadel was aimed directly at them! It struck the ship on the left wing, making it spin around! And although Slash had the cybernetic strength to keep him inside his chair, he was still more monkey than robot, and his dizziness from the sudden movements was beginning to hit him hard.

Hayley was more fortunate. She kept her eyes on the monitor displaying the Citadel as she pushed some buttons to level out her ship. She guided the controls directly towards the Citadel, knowing that Skeleton King would have a harder time aiming for them when she was closer to the dreaded fortress.

After several more minutes of dodging what energy blasts she could and stabilizing her ship after those she couldn't, Hayley was skimming just above the surface of the Citadel's outer shell, where her ship was safest in a space battle.

"Watch out!" Slash exclaimed.

But Hayley was already onto it. She narrowed her focus on one of the protruding spikes on the Citadel and opened fire, her ship's lasers beginning to cut into the Citadel!

Tough as he was as a warrior, Slash couldn't bear to watch as his sister would fly directly into an enemy ship and kill both of them. He closed his eyes and covered his ears.

After more than another minute, the shaking Slash murmured, "We're dead. We're dead. We're dead, we're dead, we're dead, we died, we're dead."

A pair of hands gently grabbed his wrists and pulled them away from his ears before Hayley's exasperated voice said, "Slash…stand up."

Awkwardly, Slash slowly opened his eyes and looked around. Her ship was still intact, but he could see on her monitor that their scenery had changed. Although it was still mostly black, he could see streaks of an eerie green instead of white dots. "Where are we?" he asked shakily.

"Inside the Citadel," she answered as she opened the emergency door in the cockpit. "The far side of the Citadel, to be precise. I opened a hole large enough to get my ship inside, but the shell regenerates itself. For now, we're trapped inside."

"I see…" he commented hesitantly, following her out of her ship. "Now what?"

"I suspect that Skeleton King has Chiro in his throne room…at the other side of the Citadel." Hayley shuddered at the thought. "This was the part I wasn't looking forward to. It's so dark in here, and it's like a maze. It could take us hours to reach Chiro."

Slash smirked lightly. "Still don't like the dark, do you?"

Hayley glared back at him. "About as much as you don't like heights."

"Don't even go there."

---------

The pair spent several hours wandering the Citadel. During that time, Slash had only a few chances to catch the scent of what smelled like human, and Hayley heard faint echoes of what sounded like Chiro's painful screaming. But their only encounters were with some small groups of Formless that didn't really put up much of a fight.

Hayley didn't like what little progress they were making. They were already more than halfway to their goal, but the lack of action and the immense darkness surrounding them was making her skin crawl.

She could barely make herself believe it. She had been trapped inside this fortress for a long time, and yet by living several days outside and in the light, she had forgotten how deep the darkness was in here.

Only when they passed an opening to another empty room did she hesitated. At first glance, the room seemed to be nothing out of expectation for an evil fortress. What had caught her eye was the orange color of some of the décor, the only real color she had seen since their arrival.

"Spot?" Slash asked hesitantly as she entered the room.

"I dare not believe my eyes," she whispered breathlessly as she examined some of the items. "I recognize these things. These are some of Mandarin's belongings."

"Mandarin? What's a Mandarin?"

Hayley smirked at him. "Not what. Who. Mandarin was the original leader of the Monkey Team. He…actually, I don't know what happened that made him turn evil. Or maybe…maybe he did truly choose on his own to—" She hesitated, unable to bring herself into finishing the sentence.

Slash noticed the uncertain look on her face. "Were you and this Mandarin…close?"

"What?" she asked, distracted. "No! I mean, I miss him. He was one of us on the Monkey Team, a brother to us. I mean, we all had a deep respect for him. But I could never feel for him…that way."

"Are you sure?"

Now, Hayley was really offended. She did all but give him a death glare. "I swear, if you weren't my brother by blood, I'd grind you down into pulp."

"I'm just saying that one of your own was able to become corrupt," Slash replied. "That considered, isn't there at least a chance that your Chiro might do the same?"

She grunted lightly, mixed between being offended and being uncertain. She had known Mandarin far longer than she had known Chiro. She had trusted the Orange Monkey with her life more often than she did her new human leader. And yet, he fell into darkness. Could it be possible?

Hayley tried to fight the thought as logically as possible. She may not have known Chiro long, and she may not trust humans easily, but she somehow knew more about Chiro than she ever did about Mandarin. The main difference between the two: Chiro's head may be full of pride, but it was his heart that does the thinking.

She glanced at Slash again, ready to begin another verbal fight about the purity in Chiro's heart. But the first word never left her mouth, for something very interesting caught her eye. She approached a short table, and sitting on it was a box that seemed familiar. She took it off the table and slowly opened it, revealing a sight that she thought she would never see.

"But how?" she gasped in shock.

"What is it?" he asked.

"This…this is one of Guardian Angels from Celestia Three," she realized. "Nova has one, and she gave me another one, but…how did Mandarin come across something like the Mighty Soul of Strength? Or…is it Courage, now that I know that the Celestian language has two translations for that word?"

And she removed from the box what looked like a plush toy in the shape of an orange dragon. Its lizard-like legs and body had a particular shape that made it look like it could have strong muscles instead of whatever was used to stuff the plush animal. Its claws were pure white, as were the small spikes on the tail. Its eyes were jewels of amber, and what little light in the room reflecting on the eyes seemed to give off a supernatural glow.

"Good thing I never found out he had it while he was still leader of the team," she commented as she placed it back in the box. "Mandarin wouldn't be caught dead with something of this kind of sentimental value."

"We should continue with the search," Slash pointed out.

Hayley picked up the box and tucked it under one arm. The slight growl in her voice indicated that whatever doubts she had for Chiro before were now no longer. "I don't care who gave this to Mandarin or why, but I will not see this go to waste."

Slash grimaced slightly, but made no argument as they continued onward.

---------

"There!" Gibson exclaimed. "Finally. The systems are clean. The virus is no more."

"Wow, that took about five hours," Nova commented. "Hayley's gotten really clever with this part of her training."

Otto nodded, giving another of his clueless grins. "Yeah, she got real good. She nearly aced the Super Robot."

Sprx scowled. "That's not a good thing, Otto."

"Oh…"

"No time to waste," Antauri told them all. "We must go to the aid of Hayley and Slash. Monkeys, Mobilize!"

---------

"I have the scent," Slash whispered. "It is strong this time."

"Yes," Hayley hissed excitedly, beginning to move on ahead of him. "We're coming, Chiro. Come on, Slash. The throne room is this way."

But Slash looked at her again. "Hayley…" he softly called out, grabbing her hand. The look in his eyes was of genuine concern, something that surprised her. "I fear of what may happen if we step into that room."

"Slash, I grow tired of you trying to talk me out of rescuing Chiro," she snapped harshly but quietly. She removed her hand from his. "If you're with me, then keep up with me. If you're not, you're more than welcome to go back to the ship. Chiro's running out of time, and I'm not waiting another moment."

That said, she began running down the hall towards the goal.

"Wait, slow down!," he began to say, but she was already out of the earshot. He was quick after her.

But she wouldn't slow down. Not now, not when she knew that she was so close. The throne room was just 100 meters away.

She knew that inside, just waiting to be rescued, was Chiro. Seventy-five meters…

But she also knew that Skeleton King would also be in there, waiting just for her. Fifty meters…

What would happen once she got inside was anyone's guess, even hers. Twenty-five meters…

She slowed to a halt when she finally arrived at the door. She screeched in surprise when she rounded the last corner and found that many more Formless than the pair had encountered were guarding it. They turned as one in her direction. Snarling, she transformed her hands into her whips and stood ready for the fight.

By this time, Slash was able to catch up with her. "Guarded," he commented. "Big surprise."

"Ready for a real fight this time?" Hayley asked him.

Drawing out his sword, Slash replied, "Always."

Using a quick burst from her jetpack, Hayley launched herself into a Stinging Spin that brushed against the faces of the first line of Formless. Blindly, they stumbled in Slash's direction, who reacted by cutting through them as easily as Otto's saws ever would. They were able to finish the first group in a matter of minutes.

The second wave consisted of fewer Formless, but they were stronger than the typical Formless minions. Slash began by slicing at the limbs, though this time he could only focus on one opponent at a time. Hayley was able to dodge one of the ooze balls that were shot in her direction and before luring her enemies to a nearby edge. This battle took longer.

The final obstacle between the two monkeys and the door was a Formless titan, a four-legged behemoth creature closer to Skeleton King's height than anything else, and a particularly difficult foe to be sure.

The two monkeys started at the legs; she grabbing one leg with her whips, and he cutting into the other with his sword. But the titan was able to shake them both with but a simple kick at each of them, and Slash was nearly sent over the edge that Hayley had used before.

Hayley panted in exhaustion as she made her way to her brother, helping him to his feet as the titan turned in their direction.

"It's too powerful," Slash sighed.

"Maybe we're going at it the wrong way with this one," Hayley suggested. "Perhaps if we can get onto the Formless' shoulders…"

"Have you lost your mind?! I'm not going up there!"

"Come on! Together, we can do it!"

Slash sighed, but he found that he really had no choice in the matter as she grabbed his hands and used her jetpack to carry them both upwards.

The Formless titan began to swipe its claws at the pair, but with Hayley dodging and Slash deflecting, it became difficult for it to have a good aim at them, for what it had in strength, it lacked in smarts.

"Slash, go for the neck!" Hayley yelled, releasing him just above the shoulder.

Slash screamed a little at the sudden drop, but as his feet landed on the slightly softened body of ooze, he held his sword up and injected it into the Formless titan's neck. He was having a bit of difficulty walking across the back of its shoulder blades, partly because of the stickiness of the ooze but also because the Formless began to move in attempts to shake him off, but his artificial strength kept him going.

By the time he made it to the other shoulder and began pulling the sword out, Hayley was able to wrap her whips around the ear-like parts of the head. After securing herself to one of the ceiling's bone spikes, she grunted with effort as she pulled with all of her strength.

Finally, after what seemed like a long time, Hayley was able to yank off the head from the weakened neck of the Formless titan. Immediately, the rest of the Formless lost its consistency, and as the body started to collapse into nothing more than a puddle of ooze, Slash began falling towards the floor.

Messy as her whips were, Hayley immediately reacted by wrapping them around his waist and lowering him gently to the floor. When he had his feet safely planted, she came down herself.

"You DO know that idea was crazy?" Slash asked.

"Sometimes crazy works," Hayley replied.

"You fight well, Hayley."

"Not bad yourself, Slash."

"Brother and sister united forever, right?"

"Of course."

"Then…there's something you should know."

"You can tell me after we rescue Chiro."

"W-wait!"

But of course, she didn't hear him. She grunted as she pushed the door open. Not to her surprise, she found Skeleton King himself sitting in his throne. Nearby, still unconscious but now badly hurt, was Chiro. She could tell just by looking at him that unless she could get him out of the Citadel soon, he wouldn't last the night.

Slash hesitated, but he slowly stepped through the door and stared at Hayley's enemy.

"Welcome back, my slave," Skeleton King chuckled, standing up. The comment made Hayley snarl, but he simply continued, "And I see that you have brought her…just like you brought the boy. Excellent."

Surprised, Hayley stopped short. Brought…her? But that would mean that he was talking to…

Fear beginning to swell inside of her, Hayley slowly turned to look at Slash. He had not put away his sword, and she didn't like the look in his eyes.

"Slash…?"

"Forgive me, my sister."

"How naïve of you," Skeleton King said to Hayley. "To never even suspect that your own brother was but a servant in my ranks."

"What?" she gasped. She turned sharply and gave Skeleton King a death glare. "But I came exactly as you have asked. Release Chiro!"

But the undead ruler simply laughed mockingly at her.

And Slash gave her an evil smile. "Ready for a real fight this time?"

Hayley couldn't believe what she was hearing. How glad she was in her heart that Chiro was not awake to watch this, since she could hardly bear it herself. Slowly, she looked at Slash again and softly answered, "Always."

* * *

Again, many apologies for not updating earlier. Coming soon is Chapter Six: The Priceless Treasure. 

_In response to Chapter Four's reviews_…

**4Evermonkeyfan**: Whew, finally got to updating. Glad to know that you're excited about this one.

**Crystal Persian**: Hope this twist at the end satisfies your question.

**love-writer**: Thanks for the review.

**Hikaru no Kite**: Wow, speechless? Yeah, that is saying a lot. Thanks for the compliment!


	6. The Priceless Treasure

Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my characters, the main OC's vehicle, and this plot.

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Priceless Treasure**

"Slash…" Hayley whispered as the two siblings faced each other: one with two whips ready, the other with but one sword; one with a mischievous grin, the other with a pleading frown. "How could you do this?"

Slash's grin vanished as he stared at her. "I told you before: when I fled from the Formless that day, they nearly drained the life out of me. When Skeleton King found me, he rebuilt my body and gave me new life."

But Hayley snarled and threw her whips at him, wrapping his sword and attempting to yank it from his grasp. "You never said it was Skeleton King! You've lied to me!"

Growling in reply, Slash struggled to pull Hayley closer to him. "I said that my master saved my life! That was not a lie!"

"You misled me! That makes it a lie!"

"I had to do it!

Skeleton King merely sat in his throne, watching the scene in silent pleasure as both struggled for the advantage.

"I was alone for years, Spot. Even after he gave me life, it wasn't worth living. But when he informed me that you were alive, I vowed for us to be family again."

"I thought I was alone, too, Slash. I missed you and our brothers and sister. I'm glad knowing that you're alive, and I do want us to be family again…but you're on the wrong side."

"He gave me my life, I gave him my loyalty!"

"Yes," Skeleton King hissed, drawing Hayley's attention away from Slash. "He knows better than anyone that mortal humans are not worth serving."

"You're full of it!" Hayley scowled to both of them. "We don't serve humans any more than we should serve them. And when he's done with you, Slash, he'll destroy you, too. He'll turn you into something even worse than a Formless!"

By this time, Slash was able to fix his position and pull Hayley over his head, sending her screaming to the other side of the room. She released her whips and flipped, landing on her feet.

"Spot, I'm sorry to say that if you won't join me, if you won't join the Master…then I shall have to destroy you."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't it?" He leapt forward and literally took a stab at Hayley. She gasped in surprise when she realized how serious he was; she was so convinced that her own brother by blood wouldn't actually attack her that she had remained still until the last few possible moments. He nearly shaved off some of the fur on her arm as she leaned and rolled to one side.

She quickly reacted by lashing her whips at his ankles, easily tripping him into falling onto the floor. And yet, even though she had just barely escaped a tremendous blow to her body, she couldn't quite bring herself into fighting him.

She couldn't help but wonder if this was how the Monkeys had felt when Mandarin had betrayed them.

However, she wasn't granted the luxury of time for guessing; Slash was back on his feet and waving his sword violently in front of her, a deep scowl on his face.

Hayley wrapped her whips against his wrists and the hilt of the sword and leaned toward him, forcing him to stop shoving her forward and to keep him at bay.

"I don't want to fight you," she pleaded with him, trying to reach the goodness that she felt was still in his heart.

"Did you really think that I wanted it to come to this?" he asked in reply, almost as softly as she. "I spent years in training, preparing to rescue you from whomever could've been holding you prisoner. I never imagined that I would be using this training against you."

Hayley would have wanted to tell him that she hadn't been reunited with the Hyperforce very long and that she could have very well been right under his nose for all of the training. But she could see past Slash and noticed the Skeleton King sitting calmly on his throne and even losing interest in the fight itself as he regarded the unconscious Chiro.

She scowled, knowing that Skeleton King would never be so relaxed in the middle of a life battle unless he knew for certain that victory was going to be his.

Feeling a slight pain in her chest, Hayley grunted as she began to lose hope. She had been worn out by her battling with the Formless, and now she was using what little fighting strength she had left just to delay Slash's attacks. Her hope began to drain from her heart almost as fast as her strength was from her body.

"At last, you realize that avoiding me has gained you nothing," Skeleton King finally said after several minutes of remaining quiet. "You should have saved yourself the trouble of blocking me and simply embraced my gift of power as easily as your brothers have."

Hayley didn't need to ask why her great enemy had used the plural form; she knew that he was talking about both Slash and Mandarin.

"The dark forces can give power beyond your imagination, Hayley," the evil overlord continued. "Turn your face away from the blinding force of light and give in to the darkness. Let your mind forget the blissful innocence of ignorance and embrace your native nature."

She grunted in effort as her vision began to cloud with what seemed like a dark mist. She panted, her arms quivering under Slash's strength.

The Citadel suddenly shook, snapping her from her despair. She didn't hear very well when a familiar voice had called out "**Energy Saw Strike**!" But when she found a pair of familiar green weapons striking Slash in the side, she somehow found the strength to lean over to one side and send Slash to the floor.

"Hayley!" the same voice cried out to her.

She, Slash, and the Skeleton King all looked up in surprise as the Monkey Team flew through the emergency exit in the Fist Rocket Three. Chuckling evilly, the master of the undead turned in Chiro's direction and held his staff high, the end of it glowing brightly in evil energy.

"No!" Hayley squealed before struggling out Slash's grasp.

He was ready to follow her and stop her from reaching him when another voice echoed with "**Lady Tomahawk**!"

"Nova?" Slash asked in surprise just after he recovered, although not easily, the blow to his head. "I thought you liked me."

"I do…" she frowned before pointing a thumb behind her. "But HE doesn't."

"**Gyro Roll**!"

Before Slash had realized it, something red was rolling in his direction, magnetic fields giving his whole body a tingling and numbing feeling as they electrocuted him. Soon, Sprx was standing before the badly injured Slash, smirking, "I knew you couldn't be trusted."

Antauri and Gibson had run past the others and were catching up with Hayley in the attempt to save Chiro.

"**Monkey Mind Scream**!" Antauri screeched, sending his sonic attack directly for the Skeleton King's head! Caught off guard, he dropped his staff and grabbed his head. He yelled in pain, frustration, and anger as he turned on Antauri and used his telekinetic power to send the Black Monkey back!

While he was distracted, Hayley and Gibson moved on to Chiro's side, Gibson's drills working furiously to free their injured leader. Chiro's limp body fell into Hayley's arms, and she began to carry him towards the open hatch in the Super Robot.

"NO!!" Skeleton King screamed, pointing his staff at them both. But Gibson had her back covered. Several of the Spin Shocker attacks were not enough to injure him, but it was enough to change the angle of the staff, causing him to become distracted once again.

Hayley and Chiro were the first to reach the hatch. Nova was not too far behind them, helping Antauri along the way. Sprx and Gibson actually cooperated in unleashing their attacks against Skeleton King at the same time, injuring him and forcing him into the seat of his throne.

Lingering behind, Otto looked down at the injured Slash.

---------

In the Command Center, most of the Monkeys were taking their respective circular chairs. Hayley was still carrying Chiro, trying to get him into Sick Bay.

"Monkey Team, prepare for emergency take-off," Antauri ordered.

"Wait!" Hayley screeched. "We can't leave Slash like this! It'd be wrong!"

Gibson frowned at her. "Logically speaking, because he has betrayed you and tricked you into betraying us, he is likely to cause the same trouble again."

"Wait a minute," Nova realized. "Where's Otto?"

Just as she asked the question, Otto came into the Command Center, confusion written all over his face.

"Otto, did you get Slash?" Hayley asked hopefully.

But the Green Monkey just shook his head.

And only Sprx noticed the truly pained expression on her face.

"We gotta get outta here now!" Otto told the others. "He's already got more Formless coming this way!"

"What about my ship?" Hayley asked. "It's at the other side of the fortress."

"Already taken care of," Sprx told her. "We got it back just before we crashed in on the party."

By this time, Otto joined the others in strapping into the chairs while Hayley took Chiro to Sick Bay. In moments, they guided the Fist Rocket Three into breaking free of the regenerated shell. The Super Robot had to maneuver through asteroid belts and stardust clouds before they were able to shake off the Citadel.

Within minutes, the Fist Rocket Three removed itself from the regenerated section of the Citadel, allowing the Super Robot to take off. It had to maneuver through asteroid fields and stardust clouds before they were finally able to shake off their pursuer.

---------

**_Several hours later_…**

"Antauri?"

The slightly deep voice of Otto brought the Black Monkey out of calm meditation in his quarters as he turned to regard his friend. "Yes, Otto?"

"Can I…talk to you about something for a minute?"

"Of course."

"It's about…what happened in the Citadel."

Antauri gestured next to him, inviting Otto to sit down by him. Feeling a little sheepish, the Green Monkey's step was a little slower than normal as he approached and sat beside him.

"What's on your mind?" Antauri asked.

"Uh…" Otto began, starting to scratch his head. This drew a slightly exasperated look from Antauri as Otto realized that he didn't ask the question literally. "Well, back when we were ready to leave…"

_Otto looked down at the injured Slash and felt sorry for him. After taking a brief moment to assure himself that Skeleton wasn't going to pick himself up any time soon, he ran to Slash's side and gently took his arm._

"_Leave me," Slash snarled, beginning to pull his arm away. "I am ashamed, defeated, and close to death."_

"_We can help you," Otto told him, not letting him go. "I can fix those metal parts in no time, and Hayley's a wonder with medicine. Besides, she would want you to come back."_

_Slash breathed a sad sigh. "No, she wouldn't." He then gave him the saddest eyes the Green Monkey had ever seen in his life. "You are the one called Otto?"_

_Otto nodded._

"_Then please, do me one favor." As Slash spoke, his voice was trailing off into a faint whisper. "We both know…that Hayley is a treasure far more valuable…than anything in the universe. So, please, please promise that you would take care of her…in my place. She speaks very highly of you. In fact, if I hadn't known any better…" And at this point, he could barely be heard. "I would say that she—"_

_But Slash never had the chance to finish that sentence as he fell limp onto the floor, never to rise again./i_

Antauri listened to Otto's explanation without interrupting even once, acknowledging the details only a few times with an understanding nod. When Otto was finished, the pair sat still in thought.

"I wonder what he meant," Otto finally said after several moments of silence.

"Slash was fortunate," Antauri replied. "His heart was not as badly corrupted as Mandarin's was, even though he did spend a considerable amount of time under the influence of the Skeleton King's dark powers. He had not lost sight of what he considered to be important: reuniting with Hayley…at any cost."

Otto shrugged. "So…everything he did, it was with good intentions?"

"The best of intentions, Otto. The problem is, some of the worst deeds imaginable can be done with the best of intentions. Slash was so intent on retrieving Hayley that he didn't realize that the result wouldn't have justified his methods. If he had had his way, he would have had Hayley back…but it would not have been the reunion he had wanted. He realized that he could no longer make her happy; that was why he requested that of you."

---------

A slight groan was the first sound she heard in a long while, so she quickly turned her attention to the only medical bed that was occupied. Her patient's eyes slowly opened and looked at the only soul in the room.

"Hayley?" he asked softly when he recognized her turquoise fur.

"Shh," she whispered soothingly. "Try not to talk, Chiro. You've suffered some broken ribs. It'll take time for them to heal. You also have some fractures in both arms, but Gibson and I had already set them in splints so they'll heal straight. What's the last thing you remember?"

"I…couldn't sleep," Chiro began. "Something about what Slash had said bothered me. I had decided to go for a walk. But as I did, I felt something hit me on the head. Next thing, I'm in here."

Hayley sighed, realizing that he had been unconscious from the beginning and didn't even know that Slash was the one who had brought him to Skeleton King. She felt that now wasn't the best time to tell him the whole truth, so she simply stated, "Well, you don't have to worry about Slash anymore."

Chiro sighed happily as he slowly turned his head to regard the newest member of his team. But as he did, he noticed something sitting behind her shoulder. "What's that box?"

Looking back, she noticed the box that she and Slash had found in Mandarin's quarters in the Citadel. "Oh…just something I picked up along the way," she said as she opened the box. She smiled at him as she removed the orange dragon from inside of it. After all, it wasn't technically a lie…

She was a little surprised by Chiro's smiling reaction. "Hayley…how did you know that dragons were my favorite besides monkeys?"

"I didn't," she admitted. "I just took one look at it and thought of you. That's all." So saying, she placed it next to Chiro's head.

Already feeling better, Chiro quickly fell back to sleep.

Hayley didn't need to turn around to know that someone was quietly entering the Sick Bay, but she did anyway.

"Sprx?" she asked in surprise at the only one who had come in.

"Hey, listen, Hayley," the Red Monkey humbly began, slowly stepping in. "On…on behalf of the whole team, I…well, I just want to say I'm sorry for the loss of your brother."

For several seconds – even though they felt like minutes, perhaps even hours – the pair remained silent. Then, much to Sprx's surprise, Hayley smiled.

"Why, whatever do you mean, Sprx?" she asked, looking at Chiro, who was still sleeping peacefully. "I hadn't lost my brother; I found my brother."

"But…but Slash—"

"Slash will be missed," Hayley quietly interrupted, her voice as serious and grave as he had ever heard her. "When I was an ordinary monkey, rough-playing in the jungle, I had five brothers and a sister. When I found you guys, I still had five brothers and a sister. And right now, I still have five brothers and a sister. Nothing has changed in all these years.

"But what Slash did was unforgivable. I can forgive him for the mistake of misjudging you guys. I can forgive him for the mistake of kidnapping Chiro. I can forgive him for misleading me and drawing me to Skeleton King. What I can't forgive him for is the fact that he fell into darkness so easily. He felt that Skeleton King had given him life when in reality…he gave him a living death. … I had lost my brother…long before I laid eyes on him again."

Sprx sighed and, as slowly and gently as possible, placed a hand on Hayley's shoulder.

* * *

_In response to Chapter Five's reviews_… 

**Crystal Persian**: Ack! Once again, I've let you guys down with an update delay. Well, at least this chapter ends the story.

**Dark Fox Tailz**: Was it really that obvious? Hmm, I may have to be a bit more subtle next time…

**love-writer**: LOL; good thing my brother's too much older than me for me to get away with kicking him, even if he deserved it.

**38SouthernAngel89**: I didn't mean to get so caught up in everything. I hope this was worth your extreme patience.


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